Little Shop of Hope
by filmgrl13
Summary: Little Shop of Horrors It's been 7 years, and Seymour and Audrey have returned to Skid Row. They're opening their own flower shop. Sarah's back in Seymour's life, but will it be everything she hoped for? Complete
1. Chapter 1

**A/N – Okay, this is my first Little Shop of Horrors fanfic. Just to let you guys know, I've only seen the 1986 version with Rick Moranis (genius!). I hope you guys enjoy this! Two other notes – One-I'm making Audrey and Seymour 19 when the movie happened, and Two-this story takes place 7 years later. (Sorry it's short.)**

**Disclaimer – Obviously I don't own it, otherwise this would be a movie instead of a fanfic, right? Sarah is mine, though.**

**LITTLE SHOP OF HOPE**

**Chapter 1**

"Isn't it funny, Audrey?" Seymour said to his wife as they looked at a small lot with rubble all over.

"We spent our whole lives trying to get outta Skid Row, just to return years later?"

"I know, Seymour, who woulda guessed that we'd miss that old flower shop?" she replied.

"I can't believe that after all this time, they never cleared the spot," she continued. Just seeing the mess brought a whirlwind of memories back to Audrey, and she sighed.

Hearing her, Seymour pulled his wife closer to him.

"All the plans have been made. We've got the blueprints drawn, the crew is ready to clear the lot tomorrow, and then they will start building the day after," he told Audrey, as she rested her head on his shoulder.

He looked down, and saw her smiling, which made him grin too.

"Let's go home," he said, and led Audrey to the car.

Once they were out of Skid Row, Audrey turned to Seymour and asked, "Do we have to watch them clear it tomorrow?"

"Do you want to?"

"No, I'd rather not."

"Okay, we'll stay home," he told her. Satisfied, she leaned back and closed her eyes.

_The Next Day_

"Audrey, you were the one who didn't want to go," Seymour argued with his wife.

"I know, but I can't help but feel like we should be there, watching our horrible past being taken away."

Seymour closed his eyes and shook his head, "Sweetheart, that past was destroyed the second we left." He opened his eyes and looked at her.

She sighed, "I know, Seymour." With that, they gave each other a small smile and hugged.

Meanwhile, back in Skid Row, a certain 13 year old girl was watching the rubble from the old store being cleared away. Her eyes were wide, and she couldn't believe it.

Suddenly Crystal, one person who was always nice to her (besides Seymour) came up behind her and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

Startled, the girl looked up. Once she saw who it was, she turned her gaze back to the lot. After a minute of silence, the girl spoke. "Who would be clearing out Mushnik's?"

"Girl, you know Mushnik's been gone for 7 years," Crystal replied.

"I know, but by having that mess there, I had something to remember Seymour by. You know he was the only person who treated me, a small six-year old at the time, kindly.

"I can't help but feel like maybe this is a sign that Seymour's back."

Crystal shook her head sadly. She felt awful, knowing it would hurt the small girl, but she had to say it. "Honey, you know he's not coming back. Once he and Audrey left, it was for good. It's not healthy to dwell on the past, not even on a man as nice as Seymour."

The girl sighed, "I know."

Crystal, the ever curious one, couldn't resist asking the one question that had been burning in her mind for as long as she knew this child. "Why did you like Seymour so much?"

The girl gave a surprised look, which turned to an embarrassed one. "Promise you won't laugh?" she asked nervously.

"Of course, child!" Crystal replied.

"Well, Seymour felt like a friend, brother, and a, a father all rolled into one."

Shocked by the answer, she pulled the girl closer and said quietly, "Oh, Sarah!"

**A/N – I hope that's not too confusing. Basically, I'm saying that Seymour and Audrey are returning, and I'm introducing Sarah, who Seymour obviously meant a lot too. There will be more details in their past next chapter. Please review, but NO FLAMES.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N – **Sorry about the long wait. There will be a flashback in _italics_. This is the longest chapter I have ever written! Enjoy!!

**Disclaimer – **Do I really need this?

Chapter Two

**One Week Later**

In the past week, plenty had been done. All the rubble had been cleared, and they started building the new store. Seymour and Audrey spent the last few days at the site, overseeing the construction.

It was the middle of the afternoon, and it was quite warm for fall. After looking over the plans for the hundredth time that day, Seymour took in the surroundings for the first time that week. Not much had changed.

He started glancing at the different people who would stop and stare at what was going on, when his eyes settled on one particular girl. This short, thin girl who couldn't be older than 13 had, for some reason, caught his attention. She had shoulder-length, wavy, brown hair, a button nose, and startling green eyes.

He noticed her staring at the construction, with a far away look in her eyes. Once in a while, a small, crooked smile would appear for a moment, before vanishing once more. Seymour had a nagging feeling that he knew her from somewhere, but he couldn't for the life of him remember.

Suddenly he heard Audrey call out, "Seymour! We need you over here!" So he, somewhat reluctantly, tore his gaze from this girl and joined his wife.

--

On the other side of the street, Crystal had appeared next to the small girl. Without looking down, she stated, "Amazing, isn't it?"

Sarah, looking over at her, replied, "Yeah, it is," with a sigh before returning her attention to the sight before her, failing to notice Seymour and Audrey. After a minute, Crystal turned to her young friend and asked the question that had been bothering her for a while.

"How exactly did you and Seymour meet?" Keeping her eyes on the sight in front of her, she opened her mouth, and began her tale.

_It was a cloudy day. Skid Row was expecting rain. A five year old Sarah was wandering the streets, exploring. She had only been allowed outside of the home for girls alone for a week, so she wasn't really sure where she was, or where she was headed._

_Sarah had wandered pretty far from the home when the sky opened up and it started to pour. Within seconds, the very small girl's clothes were soaked through, and she was chilled to the bone. _

_With thunder roaring and lightning lighting up the sky every few seconds, the poor child was scared out of her mind. She was running down the streets, desperately trying to find a good place to hide._

_She finally settled on a tiny, covered stoop. Once she got there, she sat down, pulled her legs close, and started sobbing hysterically. It had been a good ten minutes before someone else had appeared, running down the streets trying to return home._

_This boy had stopped when he heard someone crying. His gaze traveled to the scared girl on the stoop. Even though he himself was terrified of thunderstorms, he walked over to her._

_Once he reached this little kid, he spoke to her gently. "Hey. Are you alright? What are you doing out here on your own?" She tried to respond, but found it too difficult at the moment. _

_So, he waited patiently for her to calm down enough choke out her story between sobs. The boy couldn't help but smile at the girl. He asked her if she would like to stay with him until the storm was over._

_Startled, Sarah looked up at this strange boy for the first time. She could tell by his eyes that he was nice and sincere, and agreed quickly. So he picked her up, and, with her clinging to him very tightly, took off running._

_She was surprised that he took her to the plant shop with the funny name. Once they were safely in his basement "apartment," he gave her some clothes that he outgrew a long time ago to change into. _

_After they were both in warm, dry clothes (with her wet ones hanging up to dry), they settled down on his bed and started talking. He started, "So, I forgot to ask, what's your name?"_

_She smiled and looked down before shyly replying, "Sarah. I'm five. What's yours?" He smiled and said, "Well, Sarah, I am Seymour, and I am eighteen." He laughed as her eyes grew wide._

"_Eighteen? Wow, you're like, an adult!" _

_And so the conversation continued, with them sharing details of their lives and pasts. Every once in a while, when there was a particularly loud BOOM, Sarah would jump into Seymour's arms. (And he would, admittedly, cling to her too.)_

_As it grew later, the storm grew worse. The two ended up falling asleep huddled together on his bed._

_By morning, the storm was over. Seymour had awakened slightly confused holding a still sleeping Sarah. After a minute, memories of the previous night returned. After a few minutes, he woke Sarah._

_Once she was fully awake, they both got dressed. They were about to head upstairs when Sarah's stomach growled. As she looked down at her tummy, Seymour laughed. He decided it would be best if they had breakfast first._

_About a half-hour later, they had arrived at the girls' home. He knocked on the door, and a nervous looking woman answered it. As soon as she saw Sarah, the woman calmed down._

_She thanked Seymour for watching the child overnight before taking Sarah inside._

"And every day for over a year, I would hang out with him." Crystal looked at her friend, amazed. "What happened after that? I don't remember seeing you with him."

Sarah sighed again. She refused to look at Crystal. "Things at Mushnik's had gotten worse. Seymour was starting to get into trouble for allowing me to hang out in the shop. Plus, he began to pay sole attention to Audrey. I doubt he even noticed when I stopped coming by."

Crystal couldn't contain herself anymore. She pulled the girl into a tight hug.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

**A/N – **I am soooo sorry for the long wait. I had many distractions. I also want to thank everyone that has favorited/alerted/reviewed this story. And a special thanks to Star's Snowflake for somehow making me feel like I could actually update!

**Chapter 3**

Crystal hugged Sarah for a good five minutes. When she finally let go, Sarah spoke up. "You know what? I think I'm just gonna go home. I can't keep watching this."

Crystal nodded before replying, "Good girl. You definitely need some rest. You look like you haven't slept in days." The young girl looked down at her feet.

She took notice of this and became suspicious. Sarah looked up, saw the look on her friend's face, gave a small smile, and took off.

Meanwhile, Seymour had been scanning the crowds, looking for that familiar girl. He caught sight of her just as she left. He stared after her for a minute, then scratched the back of his head and went back to work.

--

After seven minutes of walking (quite fast) through the streets of Skid Row, Sarah arrived at the home. She stepped inside, then took the stairs two at a time and ran to "her" bedroom.

The girl checked everywhere, making sure that no one was with her, before settling on her bed and letting the tears flow. She cried quietly, so that if anyone passed by, they would not notice.

She had desperately been hoping that Seymour would be there. Since he grew away from her, later moved away, she had been very lonely. Sure, the other girls were nice to her, but it just wasn't the same.

They couldn't tell her things she did not already know. They couldn't tell her stories, or teach her about plants, or give her a hug that made her feel completely safe.

The girls tried, for awhile. After a bit, they gave up. Now Sarah never talks to them, they just ignore each other.

About an hour later, the tears stopped. Sarah decided to skip dinner and just go to sleep.

--

The next day was stormy. The sky was dark, with bright streaks of lightning, and the rumbling of thunder could be heard overhead. It had been pouring since early this morning.

Construction had been cancelled for the day, obviously, but that did not keep Seymour away. Audrey tried to stop him. Told him that it's silly to go to Skid Row during the storm, that he'd just get sick.

But, he felt this intense need to go. So, he got in the car, and drove off to his hometown.

--

Sarah had woken to a particularly loud roar of thunder. She looked at the only clock in the room, to see that it was eight in the morning.

The girl went to the window, looking out at the empty streets, the pouring rain, only to get a very strong need to run out there.

So, she changed her clothes, snuck quietly down the stairs and out the door. Once outside, Sarah took off down the road before anyone inside could spot her.

Even though the home was out of sight, she kept running. The rain was pouring down on her, she was soaked through in seconds. The water was running into her eyes so that she could barely see.

But she needed to keep going. So, she continued to run blindly through the streets, not stopping, not even slowing, until finally she arrived.

She stopped suddenly, and just collapsed onto the sidewalk, gasping for air. She had no idea where it was she was running to, but could care less for the moment. Once she caught her breath, she realized that she was still out in the rain.

She looked around, and saw a small, covered stoop, and took cover. After a minute, Sarah realized that she recognized the stoop. It was the one that she first sat on, eight years ago.

When she was 5. This brought back all the memories of Seymour. How they first met, the first time he let her hang out in the shop, the first birthday she ever celebrated, the first time Audrey came to work, the first time Seymour ignored her.

All of the joy, laughter, pain, and sorrow came rushing back to the small girl.

An extremely loud roar of thunder startled the girl, brought her attention (for the first time that morning) that she was _outside_ during a _thunder storm_. With that realization, she hugged her knees, and started sobbing.

Meanwhile, a car had pulled up in front of the place, and Seymour stepped out.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N - **Hey you guys. So sorry for the delay. I've been in college for about a month. So, you know how it is, trying to get used to a new school, a new schedule, and all that stuff. I'll try to keep writing, but don't expect another update anytime too soon. I've got a 2 page and a 10 page paper that I have to write, and I have a break starting Friday going through Wednesday. But I promise to try. Oh, and I'm sorry this chapter is so short. The next will be longer, I promise.

CHAPTER 3

Seymour knew it was stupid to go to Skid Row during a storm, but he felt that he _had_ to go. He himself didn't understand this intense need, and decided to just go along with it. After a while, he reached downtown Skid Row. He started driving aimlessly down pointless roads, not quite sure where he was heading.

He had just turned the corner, and squinting through the windshield, he thought he could make out something – no, someone – curled up on a stoop. He couldn't help but wonder who on earth (besides himself) would be crazy enough to go outside.

He had unconciously slowed down to a crawl to get a better look. When he got close enough, he realized that it was a young girl. Seymour thought that she might need help, so he stopped the car. He turned off the engine and opened the door.

The rain hit him hard, sending shivers down his spine. His glasses had fogged up, making it difficult to see. He hastily wiped them off, and called out to the stranger, "Hey, are you alright?"

* * *

Sarah jumped when she heard that voice. It was a voice she remembered well, and would sometimes act as her concience. She looked up, and saw _him_ walk from the car towards the stoop. As he walked, she looked him over, and took note that he hadn't changed much at all.

When he finished climbing up the steps, he crouched down next to her. "Are you okay?" he tried again. Numbly, Sarah stared up at him, her beautiful tear-filled green eyes wide. After a minute, she realized he was waiting to hear an answer, so she opened her mouth to talk. However, she found that she couldn't speak, and she choked out a sob.

* * *

When he realized that she couldn't speak, he just smiled at her and gently rubbed her back, trying to help her calm down. As he stared down at her, he realized she was the girl he saw at the construction site. Suddenly, a thought struck him.

He looked down at this girl, eyebrows drawn, and uncertainly uttered one word, "_Sarah_?" Startled to hear her name, the young girl looked up. Their eyes locked, and for a minute, neither could look away. Then the girl, Sarah, gave a weak, crooked smile, looked down, and half-whispered, "Hi Seymour."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N** – Sorry about the long update wait. I did warn you, didn't I? Anyway, here's the next chapter. I'm going to try to make them a bit longer, but it's hard to judge how long they'll be on the website. This chapter could have been longer, but it seemed like a good stopping point. So, enjoy.

**Chapter 5**

With the confirmation that this child was indeed who he thought, Seymour grinned widely and pulled her into a tight hug. For a moment, Sarah was shocked, but that soon faded, and she felt herself hugging him back, gripping onto him as if he might disappear any second.

She buried her face in his chest, and he instantly reacted, putting one hand around her neck, holding her there, and letting her cry.

After a few minutes, the sobs died down. Embarrassed by her actions, Sarah forced herself to pull away from the safe and comforting embrace. She managed a small laugh and a half-whispered "Sorry."

Confused as to what she could possibly be apologizing for, Seymour said, "What? You don't need to say sorry for anything."

Not looking up, he heard her reply, "Yes I do. For crying like that." Seymour lifted her head, and tried to look her in the eyes. Sarah kept averting her eyes, refusing to meet his gaze.

"How have you been?"

Sarah replied, "The usual." She knew that's not what he was looking for, so when he said her name, she grudgingly looked up. He gave her a look that clearly said "you know what I mean. Come on, you can tell me."

Sighing, she admitted defeat. "Struggling. I basically live in the home part-time. Keep running off, and Miss Sharon doesn't seem too pleased by that."

Here, she paused before continuing, "I saw them clearing away what's left of Mushnik's. I prayed that it would be you, and when I saw that it was, I…I…" – Here she started to break up a tiny bit.

When she stopped talking, Seymour took a good look at them. He realized that both of them were soaked through, and that Sarah was shivering.

Wordlessly, he stood up, helped Sarah to her feet, and led her to the car.

Once they were both warmed up from the heater, Seymour opened his mouth to say something, before deciding against it. Instead, he put the car in drive and started down the road.

Curious, Sarah looked over at him and asked, "Where are you going?"

With a quick glance over to his passenger, he replied, "I thought _we_ would get you something dry to change into, and maybe a hot meal."

Sarah looked forward again, but Seymour did not miss the small, quick smile that graced her lips.

A few minutes later, they arrived at the home. Once they were inside, Sarah ran upstairs to change clothes, while Seymour waited in the parlor, pretending not to notice the giggling young girls peeking into the room.

While Sarah was getting changed, Miss Sharon entered the room to thank the man who brought her back. Needless to say, it was a bit of a shock to see the man that had helped take care of the girl 8 years ago.

"Mr. Krelbourn, what a surprise!"

Turning around, Seymour smiled and said, "Miss Sharon, how do you do?"

Smiling tightly, she replied, "Just fine, thanks. You're in town again? I thought you left years ago?"

Quite calmly, he answered, "Yes, we thought we'd rebuild Mushnik's old place. I hope it's alright if I take Sarah out for a bit." At the sound of her name, the girl in question appeared next to Seymour.

He put his arm around Sarah, smiled at the elder woman, and left.

They had been driving for a while when Sarah noticed that they were no longer in Skid Row. Very curious, she mentioned this to Seymour.

With his eyes still on the road, he replied, "I thought maybe you'd like a nice, home-cooked meal. Audrey's a wonderful cook."

Never having a home-cooked meal before, Sarah answered tentatively, "Um, right. Uh, do you know what she's making?"

Suppressing a chuckle at the girl's nervousness, Seymour told her that Audrey was making a stew.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that she was thinking about it, so he added, "I think that she may have a chocolate cake for dessert, if you like cake that is."

When Sarah cried out, "I **love** chocolate cake!" Seymour couldn't hold back a small laugh.

They settled back into a comfortable silence until they reached the house.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N – **Sorry about the long wait, but I got distracted by a lot of stuff. You know how it goes, right? Anyway, here's the next chapter. Just so you know, I do realize how shy I've made Sarah. But after feeling like she was pushed away, to have Seymour just show up after so many years, how would you expect her to react?

**Chapter 6**

After a while, Seymour pulled up in front of a picturesque house. Sarah took in the cute little home, the perfect lawn, the white fence; the only thing that ruined the picture was the rain.

Seymour turned off the car, and looked over at his young friend. "Sarah?"

"Hmm?" she replied tearing her eyes away from the house.

"Are you ready to go and meet Audrey?" With a sigh, Sarah looked down and answered, "I guess so."

Seymour took a minute to look out at the rain before saying, "On the count of three, we make a run for it. One. Two. Three!"

They both jumped out of the car, and raced to the door. As soon as they reached it, the door opened to reveal Audrey.

"Oh Seymour, I was so worried about you, I-" she stopped short at the sight of the young girl and, I guess you could say, her maternal instincts were kicking in as she ushered them inside.

Audrey hurriedly got some towels and handed them to her husband and the stranger.

"So Seymour, who's this?"

He looked down at the girl and replied, "Audrey, you remember Sarah?"

"Sarah?" She replied, a bit confused, "Wait! Do you mean that little girl that would hang around you for a bit?"

He nodded his head yes while finishing drying off.

"Oh! Sarah! You've gotten so big, here, let me take those for you while you two get comfortable."

When she left to put the towels somewhere to dry, Seymour and Sarah sat down on the couch. They didn't speak, instead they sat in a semi-comfortable silence until Audrey returned.

"Well, dinner's on the table. I added a third setting for you, sweetie. I hope you like stew."

It turns out, Sarah hated stew. But she forced herself to eat it, because it would have been rude not to. Besides, she didn't always know when she would get another _hot_ meal.

While Audrey was clearing the dinner dishes, Seymour leaned over and asked her how she liked it. He barely caught the slight wrinkling of her nose as she said that it was fine.

A minute later Audrey reappeared, holding a perfect chocolate cake in one hand and several plates, forks, and a knife in the other. As she set the cake down, she asked, "Do you like chocolate, Sarah?"

As she looked down shyly, she murmured a yes. Smiling, Audrey cut the first piece and handed it to her.

Since they spent dinner in almost complete silence, Audrey took it upon herself to get a conversation going. She asked Sarah many questions, about her age, what she likes to do, where she lives, etc.

The young girl gave quiet answers in as few words as possible. Sometimes she would look over at Seymour, who would give her an encouraging smile.

After everyone was done, Seymour and Sarah were ushered into the family room while Audrey finished cleaning up.

When she had finally finished, and joined her husband and guest, she was met with silence. Deciding, once again, to be the one who breaks the silence, she asked Seymour how long the young girl would be staying.

"I, uh, hadn't really thought about that. What do you think?"

Audrey replied, "Well, you're definitely not driving around in that storm anymore. She can spend the night in the guest room, if that's alright with you, dear." The last part of her sentence was aimed at Sarah.

After thinking for a minute, she answered, "Um, I guess that would be okay, but I don't have any pajamas or anything."

Audrey hurriedly replied, "Oh, that's alright sweetheart. I'm sure I can find you something of mine that'll fit."

Sensing that Sarah wanted the attention taken away from herself, Seymour jumped in, telling Audrey that _I Love Lucy_ was about to start.

Sarah, who had no idea what he was talking about, just sat back and watched in wonder when Seymour turned the television on to the show.

After the show had ended, Audrey went to try and find something that Sarah could wear to bed while Seymour showed the girl how to work the shower.

After she was clean and dressed in an old nightgown of Audrey's, the Krelbourns showed her to the guest room.

Audrey said goodnight, and left the room to give her husband a moment with Sarah.

Seymour made sure that she was comfortable in bed, and when he turned to leave, he heard her say, "Thank you Seymour."

Smiling, he quietly replied, "You're welcome," turned off the light and closed the door.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

The next morning, Sarah awoke to a wonderful scent. While she didn't recognize it, it still made her mouth water. Forgetting that she was wearing pajamas, she jumped out of bed, and walked quickly to the kitchen.

When she reached the doorway, she saw Audrey setting down three dishes of food in the center of the table. Sarah was watching Audrey so closely, that she didn't notice the sound of footsteps behind her.

"Good morning, Sarah," said a voice behind her. The poor girl jumped with fright, and quickly turned around. When she realized she was looking at Seymour, she calmed down.

He couldn't keep a smile off his face, as he told her he was sorry for startling her. Sarah looked down, embarrassed, and murmured, "It's okay."

Audrey finally took note of the two figures standing in the doorway. She smiled, and said, "Go ahead and sit down. Breakfast is on the table. It's not going to eat itself."

So, the three sat down. Sarah recognized eggs and pancakes, but not the third dish. When she asked Seymour, he told her it was bacon.

She was a bit nervous about trying it, thinking about her first taste of stew the night before, but after taking a bite, she found it to be delicious.

Seymour asked Audrey about her plans for the day. "Well, other than dusting and vacuuming, I just have to run to the store to pick up some groceries. What about you, sweetheart?"

Seymour responded, "Well, I really should mow the lawn and tend to the garden, but that's it for today."

While they were talking, both were pleased to see that Sarah seemed to be more comfortable, and was eating heartily.

After the three had finished eating, the adults sent Sarah back to her room to get dressed. Audrey had thrown her clothes in the wash last night, to make sure they were clean for today.

Seymour helped Audrey clear the table, and asked her, "What do you think of Sarah?"

"I don't know, Seymour. She seems like a lovely girl. Why?"

Handing her the dishes as she rinsed them off, he replied, "I was just thinking, you know, that maybe she could stay a bit longer. I mean, I don't really like the idea of sending her back to the home. I remember how glad I was when Mushnik rescued me, and I was only 6."

By now, they could hear Sarah's footsteps as she started walking back to the kitchen.

"Well, what are you thinking, Seymour?"

Sarah had just entered the room. "Well, Audrey, I was thinking that Sarah and I could join you, and we could have a nice day at the shops."

Smiling, Audrey nodded, and asked if that was alright with Sarah.

"I guess so," was her timid reply.

"Okay then. Why don't you go get your shoes on, and we'll meet you at the door," Seymour said.

The girl nodded, and disappeared again. Seymour turned back to Audrey.

"I was thinking maybe we could take her in, if that would be alright with you. I mean, we've got that spare room, and plenty of love to give, what do you say, Audrey?"

Audrey looked at him, her eyes shining. "I'd love that Seymour! But do you think she'd be okay with it?"

"Leave it to me. I think I know how to tell her," was his reply. They hugged and quickly joined Sarah at the door.

The ride into town was uneventful. When they arrived, it was decided that they would park the car and walk around the busy street of shop fronts.

They came across a clothing shop, and Seymour insisted that they go and look around. When they reached the girl's section, he noticed Sarah looking longingly at a green and purple jacket.

He looked at his wife, grinning, and said, "You know what? Why don't we do a little shopping while we're here? You look like you could use some new clothes, Sarah."

Before the young girl could say anything, Audrey was holding up two different sizes of the jacket and had her try one on. "Perfect!"

"See any shirts you like?" Seymour asked. After about ten minutes, Audrey had, in addition to the jacket, several shirts and two pairs of pajamas that she saw Sarah gazing at in her arms.

By this point, the poor girl was confused. "Why are you guys doing this?"

Seymour bent over a bit so he could look her in the eyes. "Well, we thought that with you staying, you might like to get some new clothes, and later some things for your room."

"It's okay, really, you don't have to buy me new…did you say I'm staying?" Sarah asked, looking back and forth between the two adults wildly.

Audrey nodded, adding, "If you want, of course."

Sarah then did something unexpected. She flung her arms around Seymour in a big hug. He was startled for a moment, but quickly recovered, and hugged her back.

Audrey, who was smiling widely, said, "Well, I think you're going to need some skirts and pants to go along with these."

After it had all been paid for, they left and continued wandering down the street. They were just passing a bookstore when Seymour told them he wanted to go in there quickly.

Audrey and Sarah decided (well, mostly Audrey) that they needed to get some new shoes to go with her new clothes. So, Seymour agreed to meet them in the shoe store.

Ten minutes later, as the cashier was ringing up the shoes, Seymour came in, holding a small bag.

"What did you get?" Sarah asked, mildly curious. Seymour smiled and shook his head.

"It's a surprise for when we get back home." He managed to catch the small smile on her face when he said home.

They had a nice lunch at a small café, and then continued to wander around. It was getting late, so before they left Audrey ducked into a grocery store while Seymour and Sarah browsed the local plant stand.

By the time they got back, Sarah was tired. They had gotten her new clothes, shoes, and some personal items for her room, like sheets she picked out and books when they passed another bookstore.

Seymour went to help her put the stuff away while Audrey started preparing dinner. After they had finished, Sarah followed Seymour back to the kitchen begging him to give her the surprise.

He finally gave in, and handed her the bag. She reached in, and pulled out a wonderful leather journal. "I remember you once said you'd like to be a writer when you grow up, so I thought I'd give you something to write in."

The girl was speechless as she studied the beautiful book in her hands. She couldn't believe that Seymour remembered that. It was true; she did want to be a writer.

A few minutes later, they sat down to a dinner of lamb chops and mashed potatoes with more cake for dessert.

After everything was cleaned up, the adults watched some program on the television while Sarah wrote in her brand new journal.

That night, after making sure Sarah was asleep, Seymour and Audrey lay in bed discussing what needs to be done to properly take in the girl.

It was decided that tomorrow, while Seymour's in Skid Row to check up on construction, he would take Sarah to gather anything she wants to keep, and he would talk to the director of the home about officially taking her in.

Audrey would do the cleaning she hadn't gotten to today, and contact the local school to see about enrolling her.

They fell asleep soon after, eagerly awaiting the next day.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N – **There's not much going on in this chapter. But I felt it was important to show you what Seymour and Audrey are doing for Sarah. Two notes: 1)I know nothing about adoption. So, I've made it so they just fill out some forms. And 2)some people call them "fireflies", but my family always called them "lightning bugs" so that's what I put. Okay?

**Chapter 8**

The next morning, Sarah woke up feeling great. She was going to live permanently with Seymour and Audrey!

She had been wary of Audrey at first, seeing as how when she first started working at Mushniks all those years ago, Seymour started paying her more attention, but now she realizes why Seymour loves her so much: she's wonderful!

She could smell the tantalizing scents that must be coming from the kitchen. She jumped from the bed, prepared to leave her room (_her_ room!), when she remembered that yesterday Seymour and Audrey were dressed for breakfast.

So, Sarah quickly put on a jean skirt, a white long-sleeve shirt, and white socks. She also quickly brushed her hair before leaving the room.

While Audrey was finishing breakfast, Seymour came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her and resting his head on her shoulder.

"Good morning, Seymour!" she said cheerfully.

He breathed in deeply, inhaling the scent of the fresh-cooked waffles and eggs, before replying, "Good morning."

Suddenly, they heard a noise like something sliding across the floor. The two turned around, and smiled when they saw that Sarah was, in fact, sliding into the kitchen.

When Sarah regained her footing, she smiled sheepishly at the two adults. She took a seat as Audrey set the food on the table, and Seymour poured them all milk.

They all took a few waffles, a scoop of eggs, and started eating. Seymour started telling the girl that he was taking her to Skid Row with him. When she asked why, he told her it was so they could stop by the home.

Sarah looked confused, and asked why they need to go there.

"Well, there are some forms that Audrey and I will have to fill out to officially become your family. Besides, I thought that over the years, you might have collected a few items you'd like to keep."

It was true. Sarah had some books, and the odd scraps of paper with things jotted on them. But most important of all, she had the dried flower that Seymour helped her make when they first became friends.

Audrey added that she was going to see about getting her enrolled in the local junior high.

Sarah suddenly looked worried. "But I won't be as smart as the other kids there."

"Why not, honey?" Audrey asked.

"I haven't been to a school in years. I'm not smart enough."

Seymour decided to jump in, "Audrey and I will help you. Don't worry, okay?"

Sarah nodded, still a bit worried. Suddenly, she thought of something else. "What will I call you?"

The adults looked up, questioning looks on their faces. She elaborated, "When you're officially my family. What do I call you?"

They looked at each other before Seymour told her that she can call them whatever she's comfortable with, whatever feels right.

She seemed to accept this answer.

So, after breakfast, Seymour and Sarah took off for Skid Row. The drive was spent in a comfortable silence.

When they reached the street where Mushnik's used to stand, Seymour parked the car. They walked over to the small, but busy, construction site and Seymour told the girl to stay back, because he doesn't want to risk her getting hurt.

Construction was moving quickly, and by now the walls were up. Seymour, donning a construction hat, joined the workers to see what was going on.

Sarah hated waiting in the sidelines. She wanted to get up close, and see for herself. She was naturally a very curious child. After glancing around to make sure no one was watching, she slipped past a few men talking about something or other.

She was nearing the empty space for the front door when Seymour came walking out. When he saw her, his eyes went wide, and even though she was no more than seven feet from him, he shouted, "Sarah!" and ran up to her.

He grabbed her by the arm, and dragged her back to where she was standing earlier. By now, the girl was blushing deeply, embarrassed by Seymour's "outburst".

He then took to questioning her on what she thought she was doing. After checking to make sure she didn't somehow gain any injuries, he hugged her, and said that maybe it was time to head to the home.

After going over a few addition instructions with the workers, Seymour led Sarah to the car, and they drove off to the girls' home.

When they got there, he handed her a bag and told her to go grab whatever she wants to keep. While she went off to do that, Seymour joined Miss Sharon in her office.

The two adults talked for a while. Miss Sharon then got up to retrieve the forms that the Krelbourns would need to fill out. By the time she was done explaining each form, Sarah had approached the office.

Seymour shook hands with the director, and opened the door to find Sarah with her hand raised, ready to knock.

"Did you grab everything?" he asked her. She nodded in response.

"Great. Let's get going then. I'll have these papers back to you soon, Miss Sharon."

When they got back to the car, Seymour glanced at his watch, and noticed that it was past lunchtime. So, on their way home, the two stopped at a diner to grab something to eat.

Meanwhile, Audrey had taken care of cleaning and tidying up around the house, and left to visit the principal at the local junior high.

When she walked into the main office, she was directed straight to the principal. Once she reached his office, the two shook hands and got started.

Audrey described how she and Seymour were taking in Sarah, and that they were going to spend the next few days going through all the forms and such.

The principal was told of the child's situation on Skid Row, and assured Mrs. Krelbourn that Sarah would get any help she might need.

Audrey left the meeting feeling pleased.

Just as the cab she had taken pulled up to her home, so had Seymour and Sarah. The three walked up the walkway together, telling each other what they accomplished.

Audrey was worried when she heard how close the girl got to construction, and looked over the child herself.

Sarah felt very nervous, but a bit excited about starting school in two weeks, giving the family enough time to fill out forms and such. Plus, Sarah needed to get a check-up from a doctor to start school.

For the rest of the afternoon, Sarah wrote in her journal while sitting in a chair on the back patio. Seymour mowed the lawn and tended to the garden like he planned on doing yesterday.

And Audrey started baking cookies and another cake for a small gathering she was holding for all her friends tomorrow.

That evening was so nice, Seymour decided to grill hamburgers for dinner. The three greatly enjoyed the meal. After they finished eating, Seymour insisted that Audrey leave everything for now and just enjoy the evening.

They watched as Sarah discovered lightning bugs. They laughed as she tried, unsuccessfully, to catch one.

Seymour finally got up and joined her while Audrey cleared up the mess from earlier. Neither could believe how comfortable Sarah had gotten in such a short amount of time.

That night, they tucked her in together, and watched her fall right asleep before closing the door.

Neither Seymour nor Audrey could believe how close they felt to Sarah. They also found it funny that they were treating her like she was a little kid, what with tucking her in. But then, Seymour still remembered that small six-year-old he befriended so long ago.

They fell asleep thinking that maybe they would get that perfect _family_ life they both wanted so dearly.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N - **This chapter is a bit rushed. It's just that I need to get this story to a certain point, and the only way to do that is to skip ahead a few weeks here and there. There's only going to be three more chapters, and I have a sequel planned. The next two chapters may also be rushed, so be warned.

**Chapter 9**

The next few weeks had passed by uneventfully. Audrey and Seymour completed the necessary forms, and Sarah was now their family. They had given her the choice of keeping her last name, or changing it to Krelborn. She chose Krelborn.

Audrey took Sarah to the doctor for her check-up, and was deemed healthy, although she did not particularly enjoy the visit.

Sarah started school, and discovered that she was, in fact, a very bright student, quickly rising to the top of her class. She even made two new friends, Mandy, a loud red-head, and Allison, who had beautiful black hair and loved making up outrageous plans.

Seymour continued overseeing the construction of his new plant shop, and was currently watching as everything is being moved inside the building. Things progressed very quickly, and they should open in a week.

The three of them had become very close. Sarah loved having an actual family, but still called them Seymour and Audrey. Things seemed to be going perfectly. Then one day, Allison came up with a plan.

It was lunchtime, and the three friends were sitting at their usual table. "Guys, I've got a plan," Allison said.

"What kind of a plan?" Sarah asked her suspiciously.

"The brilliant kind," was her friend's remark. "It has to do with the snow."

It's true. Snow had come a bit early for them this year; it was the end of October.

"What about the snow?" Mandy asked.

"Nothing really, I said it has to _do_ _with _the snow," Allison said impatiently. "Anyway, I was thinking about what it would be like to fly."

"To fly? You mean like a bird? Cause we'll never know. You mean like a plane? Get on one and find out," their loud friend cut in.

She was very frustrated now. "No, I mean like sailing. I mean, we've sailed over the small bumps going down the local hill, but I'm talking big time."

"How?" Sarah asked.

"We use a roof," was her simple reply.

"What?!" Sarah and Mandy cried out. Sarah continued, "Are you crazy? I'd be in huge trouble if I went up on my roof."

"Where's your sense of adventure? Besides, they wouldn't even have to know. You guys could come sleep over at my house tomorrow, since it's Friday anyway, and we can do it there."

Sarah had to admit, it did sound like fun. And she wanted to know what it would feel like to sail like that. She's a very curious girl, after all. And if it didn't feel right, she could talk Allison down.

"Fine, I'm in." It took another few minutes to get Mandy to agree, but she finally did as lunch was ending.

It was decided.

The next morning at breakfast, Sarah asked Seymour and Audrey if it's okay if she spends the night at Allison's. They told her it was fine.

So, after school, the three went to Allison's house. They spent the afternoon doing their homework and discussing their plan.

After dinner, they watched some TV, before pretending to go to bed. Allison's parents left to visit a friend's house for about an hour, and after making sure they were gone, the girls went outside.

Allison and Sarah pulled the ladder up against the house while Mandy held onto their sled. When the ladder was in place, they cautiously climbed up.

After taking a few minutes to position the sled so it won't slide down without them, they started arguing quietly about who would sit where. Sarah had strayed from the conversation, and carefully walked to the edge of the roof.

She looked down and gulped. It was a _long_ way down. She suddenly didn't feel so well. She started to turn around, telling them that she didn't want to do this after all when she slipped.

Her friends tried to grab her, but were too late. Sarah fell. They quickly scrambled down the ladder and ran over to their friend.

"Are you alright? Sarah? Sarah, can you hear me?" Mandy was asking frantically.

Sarah opened her eyes and moaned. "Oh! Everything hurts."

Allison looked terrified. She told Sarah to stay still, and Mandy to look after her while she ran inside to make a few phone calls. First, she called 9-1-1 and told them her friend fell off the roof.

She gave them her address, and the operator told her help was on the way. She then started dialing another number, and knew she was going to be in _huge_ trouble.

Seymour and Audrey were just relaxing in bed when the phone rang. Seymour reached over and answered it. "Krelborn residence."

"Mr. Krelborn?" he heard a small voice say.

Sitting up, suddenly worried, he replied, "Allison, is that you? What's wrong?"

He heard her sniff before saying, "There was an accident. I called an ambulance, and they should be here…they're here. It's Sarah, and it's my fault and I'm sorry!"

Seymour's eyes were wide. He told the young girl that it would be okay, to call her parents and tell Sarah that they would be there soon. When he hung up, Audrey was looking at him, terrified of what he was going to say.

"She said there was an accident with Sarah and an ambulance is taking her to the hospital now."

Without another word, they both got dressed in record time before racing out to the car. When they reached the hospital, they ran to the receptionist's desk.

Seymour told her he was looking for a Sarah Krelborn. The nurse told him she was getting x-rays, but they should sit down, and the doctor should be out soon.

So, they sat down and waited. They were so afraid of losing her. After twenty long minutes, a doctor appeared. "Mr. and Mrs. Krelborn?"

They jumped up. He walked over to them and told them that Sarah was lucky. The snow meant that she didn't land on hard ground. She did, however, break her left arm, three ribs, and gain a mild concussion.

They wanted to keep her overnight, for observation. He then led them into her room. "I'll let you three be alone," he said before leaving.

Sarah looked embarrassed, scared, ashamed, and in pain. Seymour and Audrey sat on both sides of her, and each took a hand.

"You are lucky, do you know that?" Audrey asked. Seymour added, "But that doesn't mean you're not in _big_ trouble. What were you thinking going up on a roof?"

Refusing to look at either one, Sarah told them how Allison had come up with a plan to sled off her roof. She kind of wanted to do it, and knew that she might have a chance of talking her out of it, so she had agreed.

So, once they were on the roof, she went near the edge, and looked down. She started telling them that they shouldn't do this when she fell. By now tears were running down Sarah's face as she finished, "I'm so sorry, I promise I'll never do anything like that ever again. Just please don't hate me!"

Her last sentence broke the adults' hearts. "We could never hate you, Sarah," Seymour said quietly. The three sat in silence for a while.

All too soon, a nurse came by and said that Seymour and Audrey needed to leave. They felt bad, they didn't want to leave, but it was the rule. Sarah, however, did not take it too well.

"NO!" she cried, "Please don't leave. Please, Mom, Dad, don't leave me!" They looked up in shock at hearing her call them mom and dad. They looked to the nurse, silently pleading her to let them stay.

The nurse sighed, and was about to say she can't let them break the rules when Sarah's doctor showed up. "Of course you two can stay the night!" he told them.

The three thanked him, and Sarah's parents sat back down on either side of her, and stayed there all night.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N – **I know I said no updates till Saturday, but forget that. So, here we are, and it's Halloween. Come-on, you know you love it. And trick-or-treating? I'd still go, if it was considered ok for an 18 year-old to. Only two more chapters. But don't cry, there'll be a sequel!

**Chapter 10**

A few days later, Ginger was back at school. Her ribs hurt whenever she laughed or moved around too much. Her arm was in a cast, and it was heavy! She tried one day to not use the sling, but couldn't keep her arm up when she needed to.

She couldn't even ride her bike with her friends, not that she was allowed to, anyway. She had been grounded for two weeks.

Apparently Allison was grounded for a month for coming up with the idea in the first place and Mandy for one because she almost went through with it.

It was lunchtime, and the girls were talking about nothing in particular when Allison asked if the other two would be let off the hook for Halloween.

Allison already told them that her parents were considering letting her go trick-or-treating. Mandy said that her parents told her last night she could.

Sarah looked confused and asked them about trick-or-treating. Her friends looked shocked. Mandy told her that Halloween night was a kid's dream. Getting dressed up in a costume, and going door to door getting free candy.

Sarah looked embarrassed, and told them that back on Skid Row, the kids would make themselves costumes out of whatever they could find, and the girls' and boys' homes would throw a small party.

Mandy told Sarah to ask her parents about it as soon as they were home.

So, when Sarah got home that afternoon, she asked Audrey about it. Audrey looked thoughtful, and told Sarah that she'll have to talk to Seymour when he gets home.

Accepting that for now, Sarah ran off to her room to do her homework.

About an hour later, Seymour came home to find his wife starting dinner and his daughter (_she called him dad!)_ reading a book on the couch.

"Hey kiddo," he said as he gently ruffled her hair in passing. He was pleased when she grinned up at him. "How're you feeling?"

Sarah looked back down at her book. "My sides still hurt if I move around too much," she complained.

"The doctor said it's going to take a while before you start to feel better," he reminded her before heading for the kitchen.

She sighed and said, "I know," before continuing to read.

Once he was in the kitchen, he did his now-famous hug from behind, where he wraps his arms around Audrey and rests his head on her shoulder.

"Hey cutie! How's the shop coming along?" Audrey asked him.

"It's great, Audrey. We should be ready to open on Friday."

She smiled as she turned her head to look at him. "That sounds wonderful. Seymour, Sarah asked me this question earlier."

"Yeah? What'd she ask?" he asked her curiously.

Audrey turned her head back to her cooking, as she told him how she wanted to know about going trick-or-treating with her friends.

Starting to get in the way, Seymour stepped back, frowning. "Gee, I don't know Audrey. I mean, she's grounded. Do you think we should?"

Biting her lip, she answered thoughtfully, "She said Mandy's parents said it was alright, but Allison's parents were still considering. Maybe after dinner we should call Allison's parents and discuss it with them."

Seymour nodded, thinking it was a good idea. Audrey turned, and playfully slapped his shoulder. "Now go wash up. It's almost dinner."

"Yes ma'am," came his playful reply.

After everyone had washed up, they sat down to dinner, which was pasta. Sarah's parents decided not to mention Halloween until after they spoke to the Jones' (Allison's parents).

They spent dinner in a nice, comfortable silence. When everyone had finished, Sarah helped clear the table before heading back to her room. She had overheard them talking, and knew who they were going to call.

A few minutes later, Audrey and Seymour were on the phone. After twenty-five minutes of discussion, the adults had reached a decision.

Sarah had been sketching possible costume designs while she waited when her parents knocked on the door. "Come in."

The door opened and they stepped into the room. Audrey sat down on Sarah's bed while Seymour remained standing.

"We spoke to Allison's mom and dad," Audrey told the girl, watching them with a hopeful look on her face.

"And we decided that you can go trick-or-treating with your friends," Seymour started before Sarah interrupted saying, "Yes!"

"But," he continued, "there will be three rules. One, an adult has to go with the three of you. Two, you will have one hour to hit as many houses as you can. Three, as soon as you are done, you are to come home and help hand out candy."

Sarah nodded as each rule was said. "Okay, I promise, Dad. Can," she hesitated here, "Can Mom help me make a costume? I've never been able to make a good one before."

Audrey smiled, and said, "Sure. I'd love to help. What do you want to be?"

Seymour watched as Sarah bit her lip and told her that she had sketched a few ideas. He watched as Audrey walked over to the desk to see, as they discussed each drawing quietly. A few minutes later, a decision had been made, and his daughter walked over to him to show him the design they chose.

He looked down at the drawing, and smiled. Her idea was to be a puppy. He was amazed at the quality of the sketch. "That's a great costume, Sarah. And you're an amazing artist."

He saw her blush at that. "I'm serious. Maybe one day you can write and illustrate your own books."

Sarah beamed at that comment, and said a shy thanks. When she went to bed that night, she couldn't wait for Saturday (how lucky for Halloween to be over the weekend)!

So over the next few days, Sarah continued to go to school, her friends and she decided that Mandy's dad would chaperone them. Seymour controlled the final tweaks of his new plant shop (_Krelborn's, _he liked the sound of his own name), and opened Friday. And Audrey added sewing the costume together to her list of daily things to do.

Finally it was Saturday. When Sarah got up, she discovered breakfast consisted of pancakes shaped like pumpkins and red-tinted oatmeal (food-coloring). She spent the morning helping her dad decorate the house while her mom put the final touches on her costume.

After a break for lunch, Sarah put on her costume and refused to take it off because she loved it so much. Her parents had to convince her not to do the face make-up until after dinner. So instead, she spent the afternoon drawing small sketches in the free spots of her journal, to complement what she had already written.

Finally, after hours of waiting, it was time for trick-or-treating. The doorbell rang the second Audrey started clearing the table. Sarah jumped up and ran to the door, Seymour not far behind her.

After a quick hello between the adults, and Audrey quickly doing her face, Sarah and her friends pulled Mr. Addams down the path to the street.

She quickly decided that trick-or-treating was fun. After examining each other's costumes (Mandy was a princess and Allison a witch), they took off to their first house, upset that they wasted precious time chatting.

Her friends showed her the best houses to go to, and which to stay away, because the family would give apples or pennies. Really, Sarah thought, what kid wants an apple instead of candy, and what can you get for a penny?

By the time their hour was up, Sarah was exhausted. She was extremely sore, too. She had decided not to use the sling, since it took away from her costume, and she had to run a few times to catch up to her friends.

But it was definitely worth it. However, on their way back, Mandy and Allison started running again, and struggling to keep up, Sarah did not notice her shoe was untied. So, she ended up tripping over her shoelace and falling, scraping her knees and palms (well, palm, although it did not help her arm at all).

It hurt her sides, too. She was so tired, and now it felt like her whole body hurt, and she couldn't help the few tears that slipped out.

But she got up. And her friends finally slowed down to walk _with_ her. When she got home, she just wanted to fall asleep.

Seymour asked her how she liked trick-or-treating. She told him that she loved it. He had come into the room behind her, so he did not see her scraped knees or the dried tearstains on her cheeks.

When she finally turned around, Seymour looked her up and down and immediately pulled her into a hug, asking what happened. So she told him about how she tripped.

Deciding not to worry Audrey, who was in the kitchen making candy apples (a surprise for Sarah), Seymour cleaned her up and said she didn't have to hand out candy.

He led her to the couch, and helped her lay down. She immediately fell asleep. Audrey chose then to walk into the room. After one look at their daughter, she asked her husband if Sarah was okay.

He smiled, and said, "I think she'll be just fine."


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N – **Alright, chapter 11. It's Thanksgiving. Just in time, huh? I think this is one of my favorite chapters so far, and I hope you guys like it too. Just one more chapter after this!

**Chapter 11**

Another few weeks had gone by. The shop _Krelborn's_ in Skid Row was thriving. It was doing well without Seymour having to be there all day, every day, so he was able to return to the shop in the town his family lives.

It turns out, as Sarah was told when she asked what he did before starting construction in Skid Row, that five years ago he started a plant shop here, and because it was doing so well he decided to open a second.

When asked why Skid Row, he replied with the fact that it was where he grew up, where he first learned about plants, and he felt the need to return to his roots, coming to terms with what happened so long ago.

Audrey kept the house, and the family, running, while Sarah slowly healed. She found that she could now do almost everything she could before without her sides hurting, which was good since her punishment, as well as her friends', had been lifted.

And in another two weeks, the cast on her arm would come off. Sarah couldn't wait.

Another thing she couldn't wait for was Thanksgiving, which was the next day. She would get to see the Macy's Parade on television (for the first time), and Audrey said she was going to cook a huge meal.

Sarah had a half-day at school today, where she received an assignment for a paper on some book for English class. Since she didn't want to do _homework _on Thanksgiving, or over the weekend, she started it today.

They had read the book in class, but she quickly skimmed through it before starting on an outline. Her mom had knocked on her door when she was in the middle of it, with a midday snack.

By the time she finished her snack, she was working her way through the first draft. About an hour later, when she started on her second draft, her dad came home.

Seymour had walked through the door wondering where Sarah was. Usually, he could either hear her in the backyard, or see her reading or writing in the family room.

After hanging up his coat and removing his boots, he wandered into the kitchen, where he knew he'd find Audrey.

He was right. Audrey had a casserole in the oven, and was preparing some things ahead of time for tomorrow. She stopped when she heard him come in, and turned around to hug him hello. Seymour gladly returned the hug, giving his wife a quick peck on the lips.

He asked where Sarah was, and Audrey told him about her paper. Smiling and loosening his tie, he wandered over to her room.

Sarah was just putting the finishing touches on her second draft, when her dad appeared at her slightly open door, saying, "Knock, knock," while knocking.

She smiled, having finished the draft, and said, "Hey, dad."

He stepped fully into the room, and ruffled her hair. He seemed to love doing that. "You looking forward to tomorrow?" he asked her.

"You bet," was her response. "I've never actually watched the parade, and Mom's cooking is _way_ better than the home's."

The two just chatted for a while. Seymour loved these moments, these nice family moments. He'd always wished for a kid, and he got Sarah. Admittedly, he had her before, but he had sort of pushed her away when Audrey came to work. Then he got Twoey, and Mr. Mushnik didn't want the kid around.

But she'd obviously forgiven him for that, if she was ever upset. Pushing those thoughts to the back of his mind, he heard Audrey call them to dinner.

The dinner discussion was based mainly on tomorrow's activities. Audrey would spend all day cooking, taking time to watch the parade, of course.

Seymour and Sarah were obviously going to watch it as well. Then, Seymour would head outside to shovel the walkway and patio, since it's supposed to snow some more that night.

Sarah loved the snow. The snow never really stuck to Skid Row the way it did here. So she would probably mess around outside.

After dinner, Seymour and Audrey settled on the couch to watch _I Love Lucy_, since Audrey seemed to love that show. Sarah laid on the floor, listening to the TV while writing her final copy, the one she would turn in on Monday.

They all turned in early that night, since they had a busy day planned for tomorrow.

Audrey and Seymour had gotten up around the same time they do every day. Audrey got out the cereal, since she didn't have time to prepare a fancier breakfast, and she and her husband enjoyed a quiet meal alone.

After they finished, Seymour brought the bowls to the sink, and Audrey got up to continue what she started last night.

Meeting in the middle of the kitchen, they took a few minutes to smile happily at each other before sharing a deep kiss.

When they broke apart, they put their foreheads together for a moment before separating to start their tasks.

Sarah awoke about an hour later to the sound of a shovel on pavement and all sorts of delicious smells from the kitchen. Getting up and dressed, she walked into the kitchen and poured herself a bowl of cereal.

"Good morning, sweetheart," Audrey said without turning.

"Morning, Mom," came the somewhat distorted answer, since the girl had a mouthful of cereal.

When she had finished, she peaked over her mother's shoulder and grinned before going to join her dad at the TV. Seymour had come in from shoveling a few minutes ago to catch the parade. They exchanged "Good mornings" with each other.

A few minutes later, Audrey came in, and they watched the parade together. After it was over, Seymour headed back outside. Sarah had to change her clothes before going out.

"Hey, Dad!" she yelled over to him as she wandered into the back. He paused, shovel full of snow in the air, to return the greeting.

She giggled at the sight of Seymour, dressed in a warm jacket, khaki pants, and snow boots, with a cap on his head, his glasses slightly askew, holding that shovel with snow falling off the end.

He grinned back, not knowing what was so funny, before getting back to work. Sarah just wandered around for a minute before falling backwards into the snow to make an angel.

She ended up making two before attempting to create a snowman. Failing several times, due to the cast (as she kept telling herself), she was ready to give up. Seymour had just finished the shoveling and saw her struggle.

He took a minute to chuckle before heading over. "Need some help?" he asked her with a goofy grin.

"Um," she stuttered, not really wanting to admit defeat. "I, I guess so." Still grinning, he kneeled down and started helping. By the time Audrey called them in to lunch (sandwiches), they had the body built.

While they ate, Seymour and Sarah discussed how to decorate the snowman. When they were finished, they started scouting for supplies.

Sarah grabbed a scarf, gloves, and hat while her dad found some funny sunglasses. Audrey chipped in a carrot and two walnuts for the nose and eyes.

After fixing up their snowman, Sarah decided he was lonely. So the two made a matching snow_woman_. They made the second one fairly quick, and when they were finished, they were quite hungry.

Which was good, because a few minutes later Audrey called them in for the big meal.

Sitting down at the table, Sarah couldn't believe her eyes. There was turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, yams, green beans, corn, stuffing, and sweet potatoes. Her mom caught her eye, and told her there were also apple, chocolate, and pumpkin pies for dessert.

The three bowed their heads in prayer before filling their plates. Sarah seemed to be overexcited by the dinner, and was having trouble getting the food on her plate, so Seymour helped her out.

The three spent an hour eating, talking, and laughing. By the time they finished their slices of pie, the three were stuffed. Seeing all the leftovers, Sarah asked, "What do you do with the food we didn't eat?"

Audrey laughed, and replied, "It'll become our lunches, and sometimes dinner, for the next few days."

Sarah seemed content with this answer.

After helping clean up, Seymour let Audrey and Sarah break the wishbone. Audrey ended up with the bigger half, and silently made a wish.

Smiling, Seymour pulled her in for a deep kiss as Sarah ran into the family room. Pulling away, he asked if that was what she wished for.

With a small smile, she said, "Not quite." Seymour raised his eyebrows at her, begging her to tell him her wish.

She smiled and shook her head.

The three ended up spending a lazy evening on the couch, watching TV. Later on, Sarah, who was sitting between them, had fallen asleep. Realizing how late it was, Seymour carried the girl into her room, and Audrey helped tuck her in before they headed back to their own.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N - ***sniff* Here's the final chapter. *sob* But wait! *looks up* A sequel will be posted in, hopefully, two to three weeks! *breaks into a grin* Without further adieu:

**Chapter 12**

Several more weeks had flown by, and now every house on the street was decorated for Christmas. On every house, there were Christmas lights, and a wreath on every door. The families with children had snow creations out front, and the Krelborn's was no exception.

A Christmas tree was set up in the family room, just begging to be decorated, but Sarah's parent's said that was their Christmas Eve tradition. There were wreaths up on the walls in the hall, living room, family room, and kitchen. Mistletoe hung from every doorway. And there were presents hidden somewhere in the house.

Sarah was loving the holiday. School let out the other day, and it was now the day before Christmas Eve.

She had spent the last two days baking cookies with Audrey, some for "Santa Clause," most for them. Seymour helped Sarah build a gingerbread house, and set up the Nativity Scene. There were candy canes in a bowl in the family room, just waiting to be eaten.

Over the course of the past two days, each parent took Sarah out to buy presents. She had gotten her mom a brand new cooking apron, which she later decorated in the privacy of her own room, and her dad a tie that she picked out herself.

A few days earlier, she and her friends exchanged gifts. Mandy had gotten Sarah a book while Allison gave her a really cool pen.

Sarah spent every spare minute she could hunting for her presents. Her parents insisted that "Santa Clause" was going to leave them under the tree while she slept, and she went along with it in hopes that will please them.

So far she had turned up empty. So that's what Seymour caught her doing when he walked into his bedroom that evening. He watched her, amused, for a moment before saying, "Find what you're looking for?"

Catching her off-guard, Sarah fell backwards from standing on tip-toe to reach up in their closet. She was so happy that her ribs and arm were fine now. To be honest, she was nervous when she saw how thin her arm was when the cast was removed.

She landed on the floor and looked up, grinning sheepishly. "I was, uh, looking for…for the, the radio! Yeah, I was looking for the radio!" she told Seymour.

He wore an amused smile on his face, and voice full of laughter, he told her that it was in the family room. The same place it was ten minutes ago.

"Oh! Right! Well, I guess I'll go there," she said, making a quick exit. Seymour just laughed and proceeded to remove and hang up his tie and take off his shoes.

He knew Sarah would never find the presents. He and Audrey had put them in three places she'd never look. One: under her own bed. Two: in a bag hidden under a jacket on the coat rack. And three: on the shelf in the kitchen cabinet Audrey can't reach without a stool.

Seymour heard the radio go on, and hurried out. When he got to the family room, he saw Audrey dancing with Sarah to some Christmas music.

Smiling, he stepped up to the pair and said, "May I cut in?" The girls nodded, and he whisked his wife away. Sarah watched them happily, glad that she finally knew all the words to these songs.

The three spent the next hour singing and dancing. When the adults finished their fifth dance, they noticed Sarah asleep on the couch. They smiled, remembering Thanksgiving, and put her to bed. They followed not too long after.

The next day, Sarah woke up thinking, _it's Christmas Eve! We can decorate the tree!_ She quickly dressed and went to get some breakfast.

She found her parents up and eating already, which was no surprise, when she took her seat. After eating a bit, she asked when they could decorate the tree. The adults smiled at each other before Seymour said, "Gee, I don't know. I thought maybe we'd go without decorations this year."

"You're right, Seymour. Who cares if the tree is bare?" Audrey added, playing along.

They fought to keep straight faces when Sarah's eyes went wide, and she cried, "But you promised!"

Laughing, they told her they were only joking. Once she was convinced, Sarah broke into a grin, too.

So as soon as they finished eating, and Audrey cleared the table, the three set to work making the Christmas tree look good. Audrey threaded popcorn, while Seymour put up old, family ornaments and Sarah put on homemade gingerbread men and not homemade candy canes.

When her mom finished with the popcorn, Sarah watched as her parents wrapped it around the tree. The three then put some tinsel on, and her dad finished with the angel that goes on top.

All three of them instantly stepped back to marvel at their work. Audrey and Seymour hugged while their daughter gasped and said, "It's beautiful!"

They had sandwiches for lunch, and spent the time talking and joking. Afterwards, Seymour told Sarah that she should put her presents under the tree. Happily, she ran to her room and grabbed the messily wrapped gifts from her closet and stuck them underneath.

She asked, "When will the other gifts go under?"

Audrey replied, "We told you, when Santa comes while you're asleep." She saw her daughter nod in thought.

Audrey then suggested that they go outside and enjoy the snow for a while. The other two quickly agreed, so they bundled up and went out front.

Sarah had started to build a small fort, doing much better than her first attempt at a snowman. Getting what she was up to, Seymour pulled Audrey to make one of their own.

Not five minutes later, the yard exploded in battle. Snowballs were flying everywhere, and laughter could be heard down the street.

Once Sarah realized it was two against one, she started running, giggling when her parents started chasing her, and full-out laughing when her dad tried to tackle her. He had missed, but the sight of him in his snow outfit, that silly hat on his head, crooked glasses, and covered in snow was hilarious.

She was so busy laughing she didn't notice her mom sneaking up behind her until it was too late. By the time she realized what was happening, she was being held down in the snow by her mom with her dad tickling her.

"What's so funny now?" he kept saying as he laughed. They kept playing around like this until the sun started to go down. Admitting defeat, they all headed inside to change into dry clothes.

When Sarah came out of her room, there was a hot chocolate with mini marshmallows waiting. Smiling, she wrapped her hands around the warm mug and took a sip. She sighed contently. Instead of a regular dinner, they just had a few more sandwiches, knowing they would have a big meal the next day.

So the three of them sat like that, in the family room, looking at the tree, until Seymour sat up straight. "I just realized I need to get something."

"Can't it wait?" Audrey asked him.

He shook his head and said no. It was getting late, so he kissed the top of Sarah's head and said he'll see her in the morning before bundling up again, and leaving.

The girls looked at each other and shrugged. Sarah then yawned, and Audrey knew it was bedtime. After checking to make sure Sarah was sound asleep, she went around gathering the hidden gifts. Including her present for Seymour. She had gotten him a new watch, because his old one wasn't working so well.

She had decided to wait up for her husband, but ended up falling asleep on the couch the way their daughter does. A while later, Seymour came home. After storing Audrey's surprise in the shed, he went inside; secretly hoping it will stay quiet until morning.

When he got to the family room, he smiled softly at the sight of his wife. He walked over and gently shook her awake. They quickly put the presents under the tree, ate the cookies left out for "Santa" and went to bed.

The next morning, Seymour woke up early to run outside and retrieve Audrey's present. He then tied a red bow around its neck, and went back to catch another thirty minute's sleep.

Unfortunately, he was being hopeful, because ten minutes later, Sarah ran into their room, jumping on their beds shouting "It's Christmas!" Once they were up, Audrey wrapped a robe around herself, and the three went to look under the tree.

Sarah had run ahead, and her parents almost bumped into her when they noticed she had stopped. Seymour knew the reason, but Audrey looked into the room. He heard her gasp, and knew she saw her gift.

He smiled at her, wrapped his arms around her waist, and whispered in her ear, "Do you like her?" Audrey turned her head to look into his eyes, and whispered back, "Yes." Her gift was a puppy, just like her stuffed dog.

The three finally entered the room and sat down. The puppy immediately walked around, sniffing them all, until she jumped into Audrey's lap and stayed there.

Seymour was sitting next to his wife on the couch, and their daughter was on the floor. She was eyeing the presents when he told the girl she could start.

Grinning, Sarah pulled out the first gift. It was a book that she read once and loved. She couldn't believe it. Now she could reread it whenever she wants.

Next, she opened up a few board games. She grinned at her parents, knowing that they would probably break them in today. Seymour grinned back; Audrey was caught up in the puppy still.

Sarah then received a brand new journal. She jumped up and hugged her parents, asking how they knew she needed a new one. They just grinned back, raising their eyebrows, in the "we-know-everything" sense.

Sarah then opened her final gift, a pair of roller skates. She actually screamed. "I can't believe you got me these! I've been wanting these forever! Oh thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Once she calmed down, she watched as Audrey handed Seymour his gift. Opening it, he leaned over and kissed her. Grinning, he put the watch on.

Sarah then pushed her gifts into the hands of her parents. She watched in anticipation as they each opened them slowly. But to see their faces at the sight of the apron and tie, it was worth it.

Knowing there was nothing else under the tree; Sarah reached over to pet the dog. With a raised eyebrow, Seymour asked if she was forgetting anything. She frowned, trying to think, when she saw him nod his head behind her.

She turned around and saw a stocking for each of them. Grinning widely, Sarah handed her parents their stockings before reaching into her own. It turns out they each had gotten some candy goods from "Santa."

After everything really had been discovered, Audrey went to start their late lunch/early dinner. Seymour and Sarah turned on the radio (turning it up so Audrey could hear, too) and started singing and dancing along like they did the other night.

Audrey had just put the ham in the oven when the phone started ringing. Realizing no one else was going to get it, she walked into the family room to answer it herself, throwing her family a playful glare.

"Hello?" Seymour and Sarah heard her ask. They had turned the music down.

"Yes, this is she."

"Oh, hi, Doctor-"

"Yes, yes I remember."

The other two looked at each other and shrugged.

Suddenly, they heard Audrey gasp, and looked to her with concern.

"Are, are you sure?"

"But, all that time ago, you said it was most likely impossible!"

"Alright, thank you, Doctor," they heard her say as she hung up.

The two looked at her, and Seymour asked, "Honey? What'd the doctor say?"

She turned around, and said, "I'm going to have a baby," before breaking out into a grin.

The other two smiled back.

Sarah regarded her parents, and noticed they were, in fact, beaming.

She then watched as Seymour and Audrey came together in a passionate kiss, much like the first one they shared before she ran out of the room.

**To be continued…**


End file.
